PSA: This ended up being longer than expected as well. Perhaps this is the new norm.
Steel and Sorcerers – Chapter 14
Ainz trudged through the icy landscape of the 5th floor of Nazarick. Thanks to his undead traits, he didn't feel the cold, and was thus dressed in his usual garments. He was currently alone apart from the various monsters that were set up to patrol the area.
Even with his subdued emotions, what he was about to go do was something he would much rather have someone accompany him for. However, this wasn't something that Ainz could risk.
If there was even the tiniest chance that it could lead to that place, he couldn't let the NPCs find out about it. Of course, this would be only in the short-term until he had figured out exactly what the situation was. Only then, he might consider telling them, or rather he would feel obligated to do so.
'Ah, here it is.'
Ainz came to a stop outside a large stone structure. It was the frozen prison, a maximum-security facility used for containing individuals at Nazarick's bequest. The last surviving members of the Sunlit Scripture should be in here, locked away in the underground portions.
Though, the person he was looking for should be in the aboveground section. Looking up at the building, it had the appearance of a large western-style mansion. Not exactly the stereotypical image of a prison. Still, the underground area was where the prisoners were actually kept.
Ainz entered, pushing open the snow-coated doors and walking inside. As he walked up the stairs to the second floor, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
Ainz internally breathed a sigh of relief as the crazed woman accepted the doll he presented. Clasping the item with the utmost care and compassion, she gently placed it into a cradle before turning back to face him, her face obscured by long dark hair.
"Momonga-sama, I trust you have been well?" the woman asked, her demeanour a dramatic shift from the series of events just moments earlier.
"It's been a while Nigredo. You seem... yes, I am glad you have not changed."
Perhaps out of respect, Nigredo brushed away the long hair which covered her face, revealing her true visage. Although Ainz appreciated the gesture, he would've much rather she didn't. Her face would've been considered beautiful, if it wasn't for the fact that it didn't have any skin. Only exposed muscle. This horrific face suddenly contorted into what Ainz guessed was a smile.
"Then, Momonga-sama, how may I—"
"—Ah, my apologies. You were not in the Throne Room so you did not know, but my name is no longer Momonga. I am now Ainz Ooal Gown. Please address me as Ainz from now on."
There was a gasp of surprise, and then Nigredo slowly raised her head. "I understand, Ainz-sama."
"Then, Nigredo, I came here to seek your help. Could I make use of your abilities?"
"My abilities? Is it alive? Or unliving?"
"Unliving. The target is a gateway located within the Great Forest of Tob."
"Tob?" Nigredo asked, confused.
"Forgive me, it is a forest located nearby to the north-west. There should be a small clearing at the gateway's location, and a small village to the south-east."
"Understood."
At this, she began casting a plethora of various divination spells.
As expected of someone with her skills, just a few moments later she was done.
"I think I found what you were looking for."
"Put it on a 'Crystal Monitor'"
Casting another spell, what looked like a floating screen appeared, displaying a birds-eye view of a large clearing in the forest.
"Amazing. You discerned the location of the target with pinpoint accuracy. I'd expect nothing less of a specialized magic caster such as yourself."
A large walled compound was at the centre of the clearing. Various people and machines were hard at work digging out foundations and cutting down trees. Soldiers and armoured vehicles patrolled the area, keeping watch for any intruders.
However, what drew Ainz's eye in the midst of all this was an especially large structure. It had the appearance of a gateway, made of polished white stone and decorated with large gems. It looked sorely out of place amongst the utilitarian construction work of the soldiers. Despite the gateway not appearing to lead anywhere, it being a sole standing structure, trucks and personnel would pass through and not reappear on the other side.
Ainz carefully studied the image, looking for any indications of player activity or anything connected to Yggdrasil. Just a day or so earlier they had withdrawn many of the eight-edge assassins stationed in the area because they were being seen by the occupants of the base. Ainz wondered how they were able to see through their passive invisibility. He remembered Punitto Moe saying something about how the military had special devices that allowed them to see the heat given off by people and objects, so maybe it was that.
Once the eight-edge assassins started using their active abilities they didn't seem to be getting discovered anymore, but it limited the time they could spend observing.
"Nigredo, please move the angle so that we can see into the gateway."
The view on the monitor shifted from a bird's eye view to looking into the gate itself, revealing what looked like a dark tunnel. Various lights and pieces of equipment marked out its dimensions up until a certain point, at which the tunnel seemed to end in a black wall. This matched up with the reports from the eight-edge assassins.
'Now, the question is what lies beyond' Ainz thought to himself in silent anticipation.
He hadn't previously attempted any exploration beyond this point out of fear of provoking the owner, if there was one. But now, he felt like he knew enough about the world he had found himself in to take such risks.
He had initially wanted to find out what was on the other side completely by himself, in order to maintain maximum secrecy. However, there were a number of reasons why this wasn't possible.
The first option would be to use a 'Mirror of Remote Viewing', but he wasn't confident his own divination protection spells would be enough to hold up against the counterattacking barrier of a guild base. Not to mention, it was fairly easy to evade the mirror's detection and deceive it with low-level spells.
Another option could be to use a summon to scout out the area, but he would rather be able to see what was on the other side for himself. He could cast the spell 'Undeath Slave Sight' to solve this, but that spell only worked on certain types of undead, most of which weren't optimised for infiltration. Thus, he had found himself seeking the assistance of Nigredo, among others.
"Nigredo, try to enter the gateway and see what is on the other side."
The view began to shift once again, moving forwards into the tunnel beyond the entrance. They slowly approached the dark void which blocked vision into the rest of the tunnel, the blackness steadily encompassing their vision.
"Forgive me Ainz-sama, but I don't seem to be able to see any further" apologised Nigredo. "There is some kind of barrier blocking the way."
'Hmm' thought Ainz. This wasn't totally unexpected, as most guild bases were heavily warded against such spells. He wouldn't let something like this stop him though. He had anticipated such a situation and came prepared.
Extending a hand into the pocket-dimension of his inventory, he withdrew an ornate cup. It was in the shape of a wine-glass, with a golden snake which wound its way up around the outside so that its head, which had red gemstones for eyes was positioned so that it looked down from above into the inside of the vessel.
"Is that…?!" Nigredo exclaimed, her eyes wide, fixated on the object.
"Indeed it is" replied Ainz. "The world item, Hygieia's Chalice."
'And what a journey it was to get it' thought Ainz, recalling the horrors he had faced when retrieving it from the treasury.
(Disclaimer: its properties or appearance haven't been described in any way so this is just my interpretation)
"Ainz-sama, surely I am not worthy of such a treasure!" protested Nigredo as Ainz also withdrew a water pitcher from his inventory.
"Nonsense. You are an extremely valuable and talented individual who I hold dear (even despite your appearance)."
"Ainz-sama…"
Using the water pitcher, Ainz filled the cup to the brim before carefully handing it to Nigredo.
"Do you know how to activate it?" asked Ainz.
"No, I have regrettably only heard rumours about the world-items and don't know exactly how they work, apart from that they are supposed to grant the wielder immense power."
"I see. Well, to use it you must firstly stroke the head of the serpent."
Nigredo brushed her fingers up against its golden surface, causing the fangs of the snake to each release a droplet of red fluid which fell into the cup, dying the water blood-red. At this, the eyes of the snake, which were previously red turned transparent, as if the fluid had been drained from them.
As this was happening, Ainz pulled a thin strip of curved metal from his pocket dimension. When he placed it on his wrist, the strip curled and fastened itself to him. There was a row of characters on the metal strip, which changed as every second passed. Needless to say, it was a watch.
"Now, let me explain exactly what it does" said Ainz. "When you drink the contents of Hygieia's Chalice, you gain a 10 minute all stats-boost proportional to the amount you drank. And after three days it will be ready to be used again. Now, are you ready to begin?"
"Yes, Ainz-sama! It would be my honour!"
Nigredo raised the cup to her skinless lips and drank the contents, seemingly savouring the experience. Once she was done, Ainz placed his fingertip on the metal strip, touching the displayed characters.
"The timer's set, Momonga-oniichan!" An incredibly fake, cutesy, and high-pitched girl's voice echoed through the surroundings, and it was hard to resist the urge to knit his brows. Nigredo looked like she almost spat out her drink.
"Bukubukuchagama-sama?" she asked, disbelieved.
"Ah, sorry," explained Ainz. "It's just an item that… she lent her voice to. I'm using it to keep track of how much time we have left on the duration of Hygieia's Chalice."
"Now, please try once more to penetrate the barrier. We can't waste any time" instructed Ainz. He and his guildmates had used this trick a number of times in the past before to gain valuable intel where it would've been otherwise impossible to do so. Unfortunately, Hygieia's Chalice tended to be limited to such niche uses. For example, if one tried to use it in PVP, the other side could simply run away and wait for the 10-minute buff to be over. In addition, it wasn't always even successful when using it for scrying. Sometimes the defences of a player or base would be too strong even with the buff from the chalice.
However, that was before Tabula had created the highly specialised NPC which was Nigredo. Ainz was confident that with this combination they would been able to breach all but the strongest anti-surveillance magic.
"I am attempting it now" announced Nigredo, darkness filling the image on the monitor once more.
After a few moments of rising anticipation, they were through. A long dark tunnel stretched out in front of them, lined with the same human-made devices and constructions as the entranceway.
"Excellent work Nigredo" Ainz praised.
However, Nigredo was silent, seemingly in thought.
"What seems to be the matter?" he asked.
"Ah, my apologies Ainz-sama. It's just that… It seemed too easy this time around."
"Well, Hygieia's Chalice is a highly potent world item" offered Ainz.
"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant… Well, rather than giving me the strength required to break through the barrier, it's as if its resistance suddenly disappeared."
"I see. That is interesting. For now though, let's stay on task."
"Of course Ainz-sama," apologised Nigredo.
As Nigredo moved the 'arcane eye' along the tunnel, they could see what looked like various checkpoints set-up at regular intervals. Trucks laden with supplies and equipment moved along through these guard-posts, transporting materiel into the new world. Nigredo continued to hold the chalice with great reverence, looking down at it in a similar way to the doll from earlier. That should be fine, so long as he remembered to get it back from her once they were done here.
Studying the monitor, Ainz took note of the walls, floor and roof of the tunnel, which appeared to be pitch-black and absorb all light. This would've given one the impression of being trapped in a dark endless void, if it weren't for all the various signposts and reflective markers dotted along its length. Out of curiosity, Ainz had asked Nigredo to move the 'arcane eye' in order to make sure that the walls of the tunnel didn't in fact lead off into an endless void. As it turned out, the tunnel did in fact have definite dimensions, which had been clearly marked out by the humans.
After they had travelled for approximately 200 metres they came to the end of the tunnel, which had what appeared to be a wall of thick, bright white fog. Checking his watch, Ainz saw that they still had 7 minutes left.
"Shall I continue through?" asked Nigredo.
After mentally preparing himself, Ainz said "Please do."
Moving forwards, the field of white encompassed their vision, which after a few moments abruptly dispersed, revealing another short length of dark tunnel. At it's end, Ainz could see daylight as a set of large sliding doors opened to let a convoy of trucks through.
As Nigredo moved the spell through the doors into the outside beyond, what Ainz saw overwhelmed him.
The entrance to the gate was situated at the centre of a large asphalt crossroads, which was littered with individuals moving piles of equipment. Large shopping complexes towered around on all sides which workers and soldiers entered and exited in a hive of activity.
However, what really caught his eye was the sky.
Studying the image on the monitor, this was clearly Japan. However, the sky was clear and blue, with just a few wisps of clouds drifting above.
"Nigredo, please move the view so we can see a bit further."
"Ah, of course Ainz-sama!" Nigredo was jolted out of her trance. She too seemed to be enraptured by what they were seeing, although perhaps for a slightly different reason to him.
As the 'arcane eye' ascended, they were eventually able to see past the tops of the buildings closest to them, revealing a sprawling skyline of concrete and glass towers stretching off into the distance.
Ainz had a few mixed emotions about what he was seeing, but made sure to stay on task. They only had a certain amount of time to gather as much information as possible.
There was also the ever so slim possibility that everything they were seeing was all an elaborate illusion. Ainz had two methods he would use to counter this.
"Shadow demon."
Ainz felt the summon mentally respond to him.
"You see that leaf on the orange box next to the entrance? Move it in a triangular pattern."
Although the view from the monitor was currently high up in the air, with his enhanced eyesight Ainz could clearly see the leaf move in the motion that he had described.
Now, since the shadow demon hadn't been killed on the way here, there was just one more test.
"Mare"
"Ah! Umm, I mean yes Ainz-sama?"
"Please cast your stealth enhancing magic on the eyeball corpse now."
"Ok, I'm doing it now… done!"
"Thank you, please stand by for now."
"Oh, ok."
Ainz then instructed the eyeball corpse to move through the gate, and report any unusual or player activity. Although lacking in stealth themselves, these floating entities could be considered the nemesis of stealthy beings. Despite lacking combat power, they had excellent visual ability, perhaps matching or even exceeding that of Aura's vision as a ranger. Ainz was counting on this ability to reveal hidden players and see through illusions that Nigredo wasn't able to detect.
They also weren't incredibly fast. Ainz estimated it would be another few minutes before they made it through to where he was looking now.
On the off chance that this portal did in fact lead to Japan, and that this wasn't all some giant illusion, he should do some information gathering while he waited for the eyeball corpse to get here.
Since the skies were clear, the year was probably sometime before 2082. Scanning the surroundings he spotted a poster in a shop window, advertising some sale event. It said it would be ongoing from 10/6/2024 to 30/6/2024. That meant…
Ainz stopped himself. He would wait until he was sure that this was all actually real before getting any thoughts.
'Argh, what's taking that eyeball corpse so long. Did it get hit by a truck or something? No, even so, it's a high-tier summon so it should be fine. Hah… even with my undead traits, this feeling of suspense…'
Although it felt like an hour, just a minute later the eyeball corpse emerged from the gate, floating up into the air. Although it had stealth magic cast on it by Mare, Nigredo could still detect the summon. It was about two meters in diameter with a pink body. It had countless murky eyes which looked like they were haphazardly sewn together, using eyes removed from the carcasses of many different types of creatures.
This was the moment of truth. As Ainz messaged the eyeball corpse, it indeed confirmed that what he was seeing was real. After all, it was unthinkable that one would be able to create an illusion so large and so elaborate, which was also strong enough to not be seen through by that high-tier undead.
Ainz felt a chill run down his bony spine. 'To think that such a thing would really happen.'
For a version of Earth from the past to be linked to the new world by an enigmatic gateway. It was just as mysterious as how he had arrived in the new world himself.
As he stared out across the grey cityscape amidst the summer sun, he couldn't help but feel that there was a certain sense of beauty to it. Not the same kind evoked by the untouched landscapes of the new world, but one of nostalgia. Even now, the environment here wasn't close to how pristine it was in the new world, but knowing what it would eventually become... That blasted hellscape of thick toxic fog and polluted rivers provided a stark contrast to how it looked now.
"What a shame," he said out loud.
'Well, hope may not be lost for this world' he thought.
Ainz was familiar with something called the 'butterfly effect', where small changes could lead to a large difference in the outcome. And the appearance of this gate was no small change. Perhaps this event would lead them down a brighter path.
'Not that it really matters though.'
Even though this version of Earth was from over 100 years ago, it still brought back some unpleasant memories. After all, it was for this reason that, he had devoted his life to Yggdrasil. And now that in a way it had become reality, a literal dream come true, he wasn't too keen to return to Earth. What did it really offer him anyways? It was too far in the past for him to contact his old comrades, so what was the point!
Ainz's emotional dampener kicked in.
'Hah… I was such a fool. I was planning on having Nigredo keep this a secret too on the off chance that it would really happen.
Hmm, anyways, I wonder how the other NPCs would react to this. I still can't tell them about my connection to Earth, but I will need to at least tell them what we should expect from them.
'Could Earth pose a threat to Nazarick?'
Wracking his brain, the most powerful weapon he could think of that Earth possessed would have to be atomic weapons. He wasn't sure if they would be able to harm himself or the floor guardians, but they could certainly devastate the landscape. There was also the sheer number of how many people were here. Before the war, Japan was supposed to have had a population of around 60 million if he remembered correctly from school? Although, according to Blue Planet-san, the true number was actually more than twice as large.
Still, that was a lot of people. If he remembered correctly the Re-Estize kingdom only had a population of around 9 million. Ainz was fairly confident that something like sheer numbers wouldn't pose a threat to Nazarick, but they might be able to over-run the nations in the new world.
That could be troublesome in the future, especially if they somehow learn how to use magic.
If that was the case, then didn't it make more sense to attack them now when they were weak? He was reminded of one of Punitto Moe's stratagems. To destroy the enemy before they can become strong. That was a little difficult to implement in Yggdrasil since they had so many enemies, but it could apply here.
However, there was one reason why he didn't seriously consider this option, at least for now.
There was the question of who created the gate. Since Earth couldn't use magic, it must be someone in the new world. Unless they crossed over at some point. Whoever made this gate may also be connected with how Nazarick was transported into the new world. In that case, attacking Earth could be a way to attract the attention of that individual, since it was possible that they had been brought over here for some purpose.
This would probably be a bad idea though, as whoever made the portal likely possesses some powerful world-bending magic. If provoked, it was possible that they would simply send Nazarick to the shadow realm.
In that case, they would have to rely on more passive approach until they found who was behind all this.
The first priority should be finding out how the gate works, and being able to use that magic for Nazarick's own means. He would need to assemble a covert research team to study the gate while in the midst of the Japanese. To lead this team… Titus Annaeus Secundus, the chief librarian came to mind. Although he was involved in magic scroll production, he should have a deep knowledge of magic theory. Something that as a player he himself lacked.
They could also try and steal some research from Japan. It was almost certain that they would be studying the gate as well. Although, with their limited knowledge of magic they probably wouldn't be much help.
All of a sudden there was a beeping noise.
"Momonga-oniichan, the timer that you set is up!" That overly cutesy voice suddenly rang out once again.
Ainz was about to go back to his thoughts when he noticed something. Even though the buff duration of Hygieia's Chalice was up, Nigredo was still able to maintain a stable connection to the view of Japan. That was certainly interesting, but something to think about later. Now, before he forgot.
"Nigredo, could you please return Hygieia's Chalice to me."
"Ah… Certainly Ainz-sama." She seemed a little reluctant to hand it back over.
At this, the crystal monitor abruptly cut out and devolved into static.
"Did you end the spell?" asked Ainz.
"No, I'm not sure what happened" replied Nigredo, confused.
'Well, that was a mystery for another day' thought Ainz.
For now, although he dreaded it, he would have to call a meeting to inform everyone of the current situation.